This web accessibility (a11y) training site is a self-guided educational resource for University of Illinois Chicago developers. Here you’ll find: (1) an introductory exposition of a11y concepts and definitions, (2) detailed procedures showing you how to test for accessibility, and (3) hands-on exercises containing accessibility violations intentionally coded onto the page.

In addition to the exercises pages, a special bonus “issue” can be found on the hero image of this site’s home page (the big header image above). It’s easy to miss at a glance, but the issue in this image should stand out to developers experienced with web accessibility. If you can’t figure it out, a corrected hero image is available on all landing pages of this site. Did you spot the error? What’s wrong with the hero image above, and why should it be corrected?

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The objective of this site is to help you, the developer:

  • Understand basic accessibility concepts and why they are important
  • Learn how to test for accessibility against internationally-recognized Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards using:
    • automated in-browser software
    • manual techniques using just a keyboard
    • manual techniques using screen reader software and a keyboard
  • Identify and interpret the meaning of common accessibility guideline violations
  • Repair WCAG violations

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This educational resource is introductory in nature and written with UIC developers in mind. As such, this site is not comprehensive and currently does not have information on ARIA, Mobile accessibility, Document accessibility (e.g. PDF, DOCX), or Testing techniques for Linux or Windows platforms.

Please note, this resource cannot:

  • Guarantee any level of expertise or competence in the area of accessibility, nor any level of compliance for a particular site, application, or disability upon application of knowledge gained from its instruction. This site does not quality as a substitute for instruction-based accessibility training.
  • Ensure its content covers the latest standards, best practices, platforms, browsers, assistive technologies, devices, or use cases related to web accessibility.
  • Vouch for the efficacy of any third-party resources or tools mentioned or recommended.
  • Provide solutions for specific accessibility issues.

As is true with most of the existing web, accessibility standards and their many related topics are constantly evolving and adapting to the ever-changing modern technological landscape. Stay up to date! Developers using this resource are encouraged to continue to educate themselves on the subject, consider the user consuming their content, advocate for inclusivity, and seek advice from the community or peers when in doubt. Speaking of community: UIC developers, say hi to us in MS Teams! (link needed)